Dust Tracks on a Road

Chapters 1-5 in the Zora Hurston’s Dust Tracks in the Road was very interesting. I have read many her other stories, but I most say this is my least favorite. In the first couple of chapters I feel that she was too explicit in sharing the trials and tribulations of her parents, and their past before she was born. She should have used these chapters to allow her readers to go a little deeper into her thoughts about her childhood. Nevertheless I am still extremely fawn of her and her writing.
This story started to grab my attention many times during the 5th chapter. I found my self wanting to read on. In this chapter Zora allows her reader to go inside her head, and in her inner most feeling which she was having at the time. This is the time in Zora childhood in which she started to be somewhat less complaisant to her parents. She recalls listening in on scarps of gossip, which she had no business listening to. This remains me of my younger years when I would do the same thing to my teenage sisters. I also enjoyed this chapter very much because she told stories of God and the bible. My favorite lines of the story so far comes from this chapter when she writes, “I do not think that her lonesomeness would have come down on her as it did, if I had not found a cake of pear’s scented soap. It was clear like Amber glass. I could see straight through it. It delighted my sense just as much as the tender green corn shuck.” Just in these few line Zora uses many different elements of literature which is way I like it so much. In this chapter Zora begins burgeon into a very nice young lady. She also mentions The Pendir a story which she is writing.

Sadly chapter 6 starts out with her mother being very sick, and dies later. During this chapter she also speaks of her vision. She sees herself leaving the village home and bowed down with grief. She also speaks of traveling to Jacksonville where for the first time she felt what it was like to be a colored girl, which she didn’t feel in Eatonville. She also speaks of seeing her mother in this chapter.

I aver that Chapter 5 and 6 is the best of the 8 that I read. I was able to relate to many of her thoughts and feelings. Unfortunately I do not see myself recommending this book to anyone.